Using automated reminders to reduce missed appointments

A common complaint we hear from Shopify merchants taking appointments is the frustration when a client doesn’t show up for an appointment. It’s lost revenue for the merchant when the appointment slot gets missed and lost time in managing the re-booking process. Today I’m going to talk about some of the native features of BookThatApp to help reduce no shows and maximise your service revenue.

The best way to ensure a customer shows up is to remind them! And luckily there are a quite a few ways to do this.

First, ensure that your Shopify order confirmation includes the date and time of the booking. This means the customer is getting an immediate order confirmation that includes the booking information. To enhance the order confirmation, BookThatApp supports sending a specific booking notification to customers along with an .ICS calendar file that they can add to their personal calendar with just one click. This notification can also be customised to add information that is specific to the booking. This is ideal if you sell regular products as well as renting products or booking appointments on your Shopify store.

Next, you’ll want to be sure you send out a booking notification reminder prior to the event. BookThatApp offers both manual and automated reminders, depending on your plan. All reminders include the .ICS file so that customers can easily pop the booking into their personal calendar.

For manual reminders, first, decide on a suitable timeframe before the booking when you want to send out the reminder. Next, use the BookThatApp runsheet to create your customer list and send out the reminder to all attendees at once.

For merchants using Automated reminders, the options are endless! You can choose to send a single or multiple reminder notifications using both email and SMS. Reminders can be scheduled to be sent before or after the booking. Sending out a notification after the booking is great way to get feedback about the rental experience or the service provided at the appointment. You can include a link to a follow up survey for more detailed feedback, or include an offer to re-book their next product rental or service appointment. You are only limited by your own creativity. Just be careful that you aren’t sending out too many!

Another great way to minimise no-shows is to offer the customers the ability to cancel and reschedule their bookings online. If you have Shopify customer accounts enabled, you can allow customers to log in to view and cancel their bookings online. They can then navigate directly to your booking page to re-book. Merchants who have added the ability to cancel bookings online have reported a significant decrease in missed bookings.

I hope some of these tips have been helpful to demonstrate some of the tools available to minimise missed appointments. If you have any other tips, please be sure to leave them in the comments section to share with fellow Shopify merchants!

Finding the best Shopify appointment booking app can be frustrating. Many apps lack the customization to configure bookings and tailor the experience.

Others have limited options that stunt your growth. Too often, apps force you into their way of doing things or integrate poorly with Shopify.

We hear you! In this post, we cut through the noise to bring you the top Shopify appointment apps that meet those needs.

What is Shopify Appointment Booking Software?

Shopify appointment booking software integrates appointment and booking capabilities directly within your store.

Rather than using a separate system, you can handle your booking now within Shopify.

This enables a seamless booking experience for customers as they can schedule appointments at checkout or through a booking page on your site.

The app syncs with your Shopify platform, so appointment data, notifications, and customer details are consolidated into your Shopify operations and reporting.

Benefits of a Shopify Booking App

There are several key benefits to using the best Shopify booking app:

Efficient scheduling- The app provides calendar integration and scheduling options like time slots, buffers, and capacity limits to optimize booking workflows.

Branded workflows- You can customize booking pages and notifications to match your store branding for a cohesive experience.

Automated reminders- Apps send confirmations and reminder notifications to reduce no-shows.

Unified data- All booking data, transactions, and customer details are linked under one Shopify account for streamlined operations and analytics.

Customizable experience- Tailor booking options, requirements, flows and pages to match your business needs.

Scalability- Quality apps grow with your business by providing tiered pricing, staff accounts, and enterprise functionality.

Must-Have Features to Look For

When evaluating Shopify booking apps, look for these key features:

Robust scheduling with time slots, recurrence, and group bookings

Customizable booking pages, forms, reminders, and workflows

SMS and email notifications to automatically engage customers

Reports on booking performance, cancellations, no-shows, and revenue

Mobile optimized for customers to book on any device

Shopify integration with customer profiles, orders, and inventory

Flexible pricing plans to upgrade features as needed

Best 10 appointment booking software for Shopify 2023

BookThatApp
Appointo
Cowlendar
Tipo Appointment
Appointly
Sesami
IzyRent
Easy Appointment Booking
Booking App By Webkul
BookedUp

1. BookThatApp

As a Shopify store owner, you're not just selling products—you're selling experiences, services, and time. And that's where BookThatApp comes into play.

BookThatApp is the best Shopify software, designed to streamline and automate your appointment scheduling process. With over 8,000 satisfied Shopify merchants, BookThatApp has proven its worth time and again.

It’s one of the feature-rich tools for Shopify store owners like you.

And it’s not us mentioning this, but our users love it.

From beauty & wellness centers and sports & fitness studios to professional services and hotels, if you're on Shopify and need a booking solution, BookThatApp is your go-to tool.

Try it today—and did we mention it’s free?

Features:

Customizable Booking Widget- Whether it's for accommodations, classes, rentals, or tours, BookThatApp covers you. Tailor it to your needs and integrate it seamlessly into your store.

Detailed Appointment Scheduling- You're in control. Define your availability at the store level, product level, or even for specific staff members. No more double bookings or scheduling conflicts.

Calendar Integration- Say goodbye to manual entries. Export your bookings to external calendars like Google, iCal, or Outlook with just a click.

Automated Booking Reminders- Reduce no-shows and inform your customers with automated email reminders. It's all about enhancing the customer experience.

Empower Your Customers- Let your customers take charge. They can easily cancel or reschedule their bookings online, eliminating the back-and-forth communication.

Zoom Integration: Taking your services online? No problem. BookThatApp integrates with Zoom, turning any service or class into an online session. Plus, the meeting link is included in the booking confirmation for your customers' convenience.